OPINION
Penn State’s Competitive Edge
Penn State University has a lot on its mind.
Well, think for once about having to keep track of high school graduates,
according to Dean Robert Steele of the College of Agricultural Sciences.
There are 501 school districts in Pennsylvania. Penn State is competing
against 147 four-year institutions in Pennsylvania and 3,700 in the U.S. for
students from the high schools, what he refers to as “feeder schools,” which
have potential Penn State students.
What are the incentives?
Steele, who spoke in York earlier this month at a meeting of the College of
Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Penn State Agricultural Coun
cil, noted that, yes, tuition makes Penn State one of the most expensive
schools in the Big 10. But schools such as the University of Wisconsin can pay
for a lot more education than Penn State simply of a “tradition.”
Wisconsin legislators insure their own taxpayers pay a lot for tuition.
Scholarship programs are critical. The College of Agricultural Sciences has
the “largest scholarship program of any college at Penn State,” he said. The
college plans to award $1.5 million in scholarships next fall to help students
afford a Penn State education.
Trouble is, the money reaches only 25 percent of the students. So it is with a
new spirit of thinking for Penn State to keep to its plan, since 1862, to provide
an “affordable education.”
The average student, after completing a four-year degree, owes $lB,OOO.
But starting salary of a graduate from Penn State is $30,000 per year, accord
ing to Steele.
The difference between a mere high school and a college education? “About
$1 million,” Steele noted, over a lifetime of income.
Steele stressed the importance of modernization yet pointed to universities
that are waiving tuition fees to attract the brightest Pennsylvania students. He
pointed to Michigan State, which is literally “buying” students from Pennsyl
vania.
To compete, Penn State must modernize, expand, and market, just like any
business, to keep that competitive edge. You can’t blame them. We just hope
they do it right.
Saturday, June 29
Biennial Quilt Show of York
Quillets’ Guild, Horticultural
Hall, To '• Expo Center, York,
10 a.m.-5 p m., thru Jurte 30,
Kutztown Festival, thru July 7.
Sunday, June 30
Pa. Governor’s School for the Ag
Sciences, Penn State Universi
ty, thru Aug. 3, (814)
865-7521.
Tree Identification, Perry Juniata
Woodland Owners’ Assoca
tion Forest District 3, (717)
536-3191.
Mason Dixon Horse Show, rain
or shine, (717) 456-7202.
Editor.
June is coming to an end, and with
it the end of my reign as the
Wyoming/Lackawanna Counties
Dairy Princess. This year has been
one full of memorable experiences
and events I will never forget.
Teaching elementary school kids
about the importance of a balanced
diet consisting of dairy products and
convincing people to try the different
flavors of cheese have been at the top
of my list of great days. But another
rewarding time Came from helping
some of the residents in the Tunk
hannock Methodist Manor make
Christmas ornaments. More than the
dairy product advice I gave them,
they enjoyed the shear bliss of my
undivided attention.
Being a Dairy Princess means
more than promoting the industry, it
means meeting people and bringing a
smile to their faces whenever possi
ble. It means giving people the facts
and letting them decide if dairy is the
Monday, July 1
Wolfs Comers Fair, thru July 6.
Ag Awareness Tour, Northu
merbland County, 1:30 p.m.
education tour, 7 p.m. dinner,
(570) 988-3950.
Tuesday, July 2
Southeast 4-H Livestock Judging
contest, (717) 394-6851.
Com Weed Control Field Meet
ing, Leßoydale Farm, West
Leroy, 7:30-9 p.m., (570)
928-8941.
Wednesday, July 3
(Turn to Page A 23)
4 .i. L±,., ..w
♦ Farm Forum ♦
right choice for themselves and their
families. It also means a responsibil
ity to the farmers who support our
program. So I would like to thank
them for the chance they’ve given me
and for the opportunity to do some
thing for an industry that has done
so much to create the Princess I be
came.
As I leave my position, I would
like to thank my Alternate Becki
Carr, Dairy Maid Denise Hardisky,
Dairy Ambassador Billy Anderson,
and Dairy Miss Rachel Smarkusky
for their help this year. Thank-you
for your help and support through
many promotions. And, 1 know that
the incoming court Becki, Stacey,
Denise, Rachel, Brandy, and Au
tumn will be more than willing to
continue spreading the news of “de
lightful dairy products.”
Bobbie Sue Adams
2001-2002
Wyoming-Lackawanna
Dairy Princess
To Use Presidedress
Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT)
To Renovate Strawberry Fields
Conventional strawberry fields can
be productive for several years if one
renovates them properly. Renovation
should begin as soon as possible after
harvest is finished.
The first step is to apply 2-4-D
(Formula 40) for broadleaf control if
necessary. Wait four to seven days
for the weeds to absorb the herbicide.
Then mow off the strawberries as
close to the ground as possible with
out damaging the crowns.
Next narrow the rows to 6 to 12
inches wide with a rototiller or culti
vator. Allow one inch of soil to cover
the crowns. Fertilize with 40-50
pounds of actual nitrogen per acre
and apply phosphorus and potash
according to soil test requirements.
One should also apply herbicides
for summer weed control as sug
gested in Penn State’s Commercial
Berry Production Pest Management
Guide. This guide is available from
your County Extension Office and
has a wealth of information for the
commercial berry producer. Sinbar
or Devrinoi are two preemergent her
bicides commonly used for summer
weed control.
Irrigate to incorporate the fertilizer
and herbicide. Late in August the
REBELLION AND
REMEMBRANCE
Background Scripture:
Psalms 78:1-8.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 135:1-7.
One of the revolutions that Chris
tianity brought into the world was a
different concept of history. Before
he became a Christian, Augustine
saw history in the classic Greek per
spective: history constantly repeating
itself in a cyclical fashion, without
beginning or end. In this view there
is nothing really new under the sun.
So, much of human life was based
upon the recurring cycles of nature.
Life was a treadmill.
When Augustine became a Chris
tian, however, he put together two
concepts: history and prophecy.
Prophets see the possibility of some
thing new happening, a new direc
tion taken. That is the whole basis
upon which prophecy is founded:
calling people to change their hearts
and ways and, in the bargain, histo
ry, too.
Lancaster Farming
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Northeast Farm Communicators
strawberries will form buds for next
years fruit crop. Fertilize again at
this time with 20 pounds of actual ni
trogen per acre.
To Attend A No-Till
Field Day For Horse Farmers
Soil erosion is still a significant
problem on many farms in Lancaster
County. Two field days have been
planned which will focus on using
no-till practices successfully when
farming with horses.
Penn State Cooperative Extension
will sponsor the events on July 9 at
the David Stoltzfus Farm, 461
Whitehorse Road, Gap. The program
will be repeated on July 10 at the
John and A.K Stoltzfus’ Farm, 214
Peach Bottom Road, Peach Bottom.
Sjoerd W. Duiker, soil manage
ment specialist from the crops and
soil science department at Penn State
will speak on improving soils with
no-till.
Steve Groff, from Holtwood, PA
who is nationally known as an inno
vative no-till farmer will speak on a
systems approach to no-till. Gideon
Stoltzfus, of Gap will discuss corn
planting equipment for no-till.
Leland Miller, a crop consultant in
Lancaster County will discuss plant
nutrition in no-till. Jeff Stoltzfus, an
adult farmer instructor from New
Holland and Lancaster county
agronomy agent Bob Anderson, will
discuss pesticide safety.
Pest concerns in no-till will be ad
dressed by Mark Goodson, capital re
gion agronomy agent. A crop walk
will be a part of both days’ events.
Lunch will be provided and pesti
cide credits will be available for both
events. For more information contact
the Lancaster County Extension Of
fice at (717) 394-6851.
To Welcome A New
Director Of Penn State’s
School Of Forest Resources
Charles Strauss, professor of forest
economics, has been named director
of Penn State’s School of Forest Re
sources for a three-year term that
began May 1.
Robert Steele, dean of the College
of Agricultural Sciences, announced
the appointment of Strauss, who
served for 10 months as the school’s
interim director.
The School of Forest Resources
currently enrolls about 380 under
graduate and 130 graduate students.
As director, Strauss oversees more
Augustine saw history not as a
cycle, but as a progression that had a
beginning and was working toward
an end. This progression was part of
the plan and purpose of God. Life is
not a treadmill but a stairway or in
cline that leads us upward, not in cir
cles.
No Future Inevitable
The psalmists also believed that we
can (earn from history and change
the future. Sacred history, the story
of how God works in the affairs of
both individuals and nations, was
one of the most important features of
Judaism.
Just as the prophets did not see
the future as inevitable, but that it
could be changed if people changed,
so the psalmists attempted to help
people learn from the past and thus
change the future.
The Psalmist calls the people of Is
rael to consider their history and
what they might leam from it. They
are not doomed to repeat the mis
takes of the past: “... that they
should not be like their fathers, a
stubborn and rebellious
generation ... whose spirit was not
faithful to God” (78:8). This is one of
the abiding themes of Hebrew histo
ry: the faithlessness of the people.
This is what the Psalmist means
when he says: “I will utter dark say
ings of old ” (v. 2b.). The history
of Israel was composed of good news
and bad news the unfaithfulness of
their ancestors is the bad news.
What is the purpose of remember
ing the sins of previous generations?
So that we may leam to recognize the
sins of today and, recognizing them,
choose to break from the cycle of sin
into a better future. If we do not re
member the wrongs of yesterday, we
than 70 faculty and staff, including
two endowed positions, the Maurice
K. Goddard Chair in Forestry and
Environmental Resource Conserva
tion and the Joseph E. Ibberson
Chair in Forest Resources Manage
ment.
The school’s teaching, research,
and cooperative extension and out
reach programs focus on wood sci
ence; forest biology and manage
ment; wood products marketing,
management and manufacturing;
fisheries and wildlife science and
management; urban and community
forestry; watershed science and man
agement; wetlands ecology; and ge
netics and systematics.
Strauss has served the university
for more than 40 years. His academic
interests include recreation econom
ics, energy economics and investment
analysis of resource systems. His re
search on the economic impact of
travel and tourism has included an
evaluation of heritage tourism in
southwestern Pennsylvania and a
study of eco-tourism surrounding the
elk herd in northcentral Pennsylva
nia.
Strauss has taught several under
graduate and graduate courses and
served on many university and
statewide boards and committees.
His numerous honors include the Re
search Honor Award from the Penn
sylvania Recreation and Park Socie
ty, the Professional Service Award
from the Pennsylvania Forestry As
sociation and the School of Forest
Resources Outstanding Faculty
Award, which is selected by graduate
and undergraduate student groups.
Strauss began his professional ca
reer as a technical design representa
tive for the California Redwood As
sociation in 1960. In 1961, he came to
Penn State as a forest products ex
tension specialist. He joined the resi
dent faculty as an instructor in 1966,
attaining the rank of full professor in
1990.
Strauss holds three Penn State de
grees: a bachelor’s in forest manage
ment, a master’s in economics and a
doctorate in agricultural economics.
He also earned a master’s degree in
forest products marketing from
Michigan State University.
Quote Of The Week:
“Associate yourself with men of
good quality if you esteem your
own reputation, for ‘tis better to be
alone thali in bad company. ”
George Washington
will likely perpetuate them today and
tomorrow. Are we, too, “a stubborn
and rebellious generation?” Can we
break out of this recurring cycle of
human ingratitude?
What God Has Done
And Is Doing
There is, however, an even greater
theme: the faithfulness of the Lord.
This is the good news of their history
and this, too, needs to be remem
bered. They need to recount “the glo
rious deeds of the Lord and his
might, and the wonders which he has
wrought” (v. 4).
Despite the rebellions of the people
against the Lord, he did not forsake
them. The people had broken the
covenant with God, but he kept it
alive with his grace.
Retelling the mighty works of the
Lord was a very important feature of
Judaism and still is today, tracing
the presence and action of the Lord
throughout their turbulent history.
The result; a profound sense of God’s
grace and presence.
Looking back over my life, I real
ize now that, when I was much,
much younger, I tended to take for
granted the things my parents did for
me and with me. Today, I am hum
bled to remember their grace toward
me.
We can only grow beyond this
“what-have-you-done-for-me-late
ly?” attitude when in remembrance
we recognize it and decide our future
will be different.
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stemman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Andy Andrews, Editor
Copyright 2002 by Lancaster Farming